A word we are NOT allowed to say at school

Fun in the Rain...and the mud

 

Lukie's Big News

A week or so ago, Abue Rosi managed to catch Lukie at just the right time.

The right time for what, you ask?

The right time to use the toilet.

We haven't been pressuring Lukie to potty train.  He hasn't been interested and that is fine.  We aren't interested in a potty training battle.  Rather, we just remind each other that Lukie will not go to college in Pull-Ups.

Abue Rosi got him to use the toilet and he was SO proud of himself that he burst with the news when I arrived to pick him up.   We did high 5s and knuckles and danced around like maniacs.  And the coolest part?  He did it again the next day and the next.  His track record wasn't perfect; for every time he made it to the toilet, he'd miss the next.

Yesterday, Lukie came home from preschool sans a Pull-Up. My son was "commando."  Apparently, he kept taking his Pull-Up off all day and they finally just let him stay that way.  At home, Lukie told me that he wanted to only use the toilet.  Awesome, but this was followed by an accident in the living room. 



He is obsessed with going potty (and poop) in the toilet.  This experience is so different than with Gracie.  He is so focused on making sure that he gets to the toilet and he'll sit there until he is totally done (as opposed to Gracie who can't sit still for 5 seconds. 

Keep your fingers crossed that I have 2 potty trained Twinsies soon!

Caught in the Act!

Gracie and Luke love to tattle on each other. They aren't mean about it, or even annoying. They just like to be reassured that they know and understand what is nice/good behavior and what is mean.

One day, Gracie and I were sitting reading a book, when a cry of distress came from the bathroom. Gracie went to go investigate and when she came back, she had quite a story to tell me. Not believing her, I decided to check it out for myself.

An Afternoon Suprise

Last week, it was unseasonably hot here. After a week of rainy days, the sun was beating hot on California and I noticed that our grass looked as if the sprinklers had not come on in several days. I was working on the automatic sprinkler system and Gracie and Lukie were playing in the backyard when suddenly, the sprinklers started working.

And you can only guess what happened:

Gracie and Lukie love Beauty and the Beast.  This is what they shared with me today.  They melt my heart.

Mommy Enginuity

While I completely love our inflatable pool, I very much dislike the amount of time it takes to pump air into the darn thing.  It takes 30 minutes with the electric air pump and that is annoying.  The day before their birthday, Gracie and Lukie and I were lamenting how hot it was (okay, I was lamenting, they were playing) and they begged me to put the pool out.  Not willing to go to all the trouble, I came up with a MacGyver-esque solution.



Thankfully, they loved it!

The Little Mermaid was sleeping in Gracie's Bed Last Night

Princess Ariel (a.k.a. Gracie) slept in my house last night. I convinced her not to wear her pretty mermaid dress to school. "One of the babies may ruin it!"
She bought it. Hook, line, and sinker!

In which I cannot decide if I love 3 years old or not

Gracie and Luke have been 3-years-old now for a couple of months. It has been a roller coaster to be sure. Now that I have some experience with 3, here's what I have about 3-year-olds: It's a love-hate relationship.

Things I love about 3-years-old:
1. the spontaneous and sincere expressions of love
2. the enthusiasm for life
3. the silly singing and story telling
4. the independence
5. the helpfulness when it is time to take out the trash
6. fewer diapers
7. the ability to amuse oneself rather than depending on me
8. a rapidly forming ability to remember everything that happens, ever
9. imagination times 10
10. they can do more things for themselves (I don't have to do everything for them)

Things I dislike intensely about 3-years-old:
1.quick mood changes
2. stubbornness
3. independence
4. the "helpfulness" when you really did not need the help
5. finickiness about food
6. the tattling voice
7. Gracie's "I'm 3 going on 13" voice: "Mah-ahm! No-wah!"
8. the ability to remember everything (including that Mommy just said "stupid") and share it with everyone we meet
9. potty training (bleh!)
10. the defiance (yes, it is real)

It is definitely a love-hate relationship, but I would not change it for the world. Three is so much fun!

Halloween 2010

As Halloween approached this year, I was very worried that Daddy would not be able to join us. He had been in the hospital for the better part of a month and a half and we were all really frustrated and sad. However, Daddy had a goal. He decided (and I think this was big for him) that he was going to go Trick or Treating with Gracie and Luke. His entire focus was on being well enough to come home. But more on that later.

We started the day with a Halloween Breakfast at Hometown Buffet with the Cook-Uribe-Arteaga-Uribe Family. If you count, that is 6 adults, 1 teenager, and 6 little kids. It's a big group! Nana wanted a shot of everyone together and we managed to snag this beauty:

Notice Nathan in his Batman costume. He would not take it off for anything!

Gracie and Lukie went as a giraffe and a dragon. They loved their costumes! Loved them!

Not that they look that excited in them or anything!

That's better!

And surprise! Look who did make it home from the hospital to go Trick or Treating!

We had the best time and we have more candy than should ever be in a house! Gracie and Lukie made it to 12 houses before Lucas declared, "I'm done Trick or Treating, Mommy."

keeping positive despite set backs

As happens too often in our lives, Daddy is very, very ill. His kidney transplant a month ago went very well and he was home five days after the surgery. From there, all of his old issues reared their ugly heads and, this time, new ones cropped up as well. He is in the Intensive Care Unit for the 3rd time in 3 weeks.

In the beginning, Gracie and Luke were doing okay with Daddy being in the hospital. They knew that he was "with the doctors" and that he would be home soon. As the days and weeks drag on, they are acutely aware of his absence and their sense of security has been shaken. We've had meltdowns and screaming matches, hitting, kicking, biting, bad-listening, and defiance. It hurts my head just to write about it.

Tonight, after a particularly bad episode, the following conversation took place:

Gracie: "I don't like you, Mommy! You are mean."

Me: "I'm sorry you feel that way. The good news is, I'll always love you, no matter what."

Gracie: "No, Mommy! I don't like you and I'm going to runaway!"

Me: "Oh! Well, no matter where you go, I would always find you." (Even though, I wanted to say, I want to run away too!).

Gracie: "NO, MOMMY! I'M GOING TO RUN AWAY!"

Me: "And I will always find you."

There was silence in the back seat and then, a few minutes later, she said, tearfully, "Mommy, I don't want to run away."

Me: "I'm glad, Gracie. I don't want you to run away either."

Gracie: "Mommy, I won't runaway like Daddy. Did Daddy runaway from us?"

I SO almost lost it.

Me: "No, Gracie, Daddy did not runaway. He is very sick and has to stay with the doctors, but when he gets better he will come home. I promise Gracie. Daddy will come home."

Gracie: "Okay, Mommy. Daddy is coming home soon."

And all was right with the world for 5 minutes.

Come home, Daddy. We miss you.